Machine for making pulp articles



Oct. 18, 1932- w, STAPLES 1,883,058

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP ARTICLES Original Filed Jan. 23. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 27 4/ 48. 50 49 t 5/ a 43 f5 3/ 1 N VEN TOR.

4 ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 18, 1932. E w STAPLES 1,883,058

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP ARTICLES Oxfiginal Filed Jan. 23. 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 2 27 330276L I 48 I 30 36 4/ i 4 III 3:11 26 39 I 3/ E 26 3/ HH HHHLIH E L INVENTOR. F 22 22 Fred W Sta/ 76.5

; ATTORNEY! Oct. 18, 1932. w, STAPLES 1,883,058

MACHINE FOR MAKING PULP ARTICLES Original Filed Jan. 23, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 DEEDS UCIEIEIIIZIDDEEIEEEHDU F .4 59 m' b 35 f9 57 Lag j gwwwtoz [7 Bed WT/St'aflea cal shell or drum ings at the vat sides.

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 ,1,ss3,oss

FFICE FRED W. STAPLES, OF WATEIRYILLE, MAINE MACHINE FOR MARIN G PULP ARTICLES Application filed January 28,

This invention relates to paper manufac tures and aims to provide an improved machine for molding pulp-stock into useful ar-O ticles.

It will be best understood by description with reference to the appended drawings wherein one practicable embodiment thereof is illustrated in a pie-plate forming machine.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, also partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of an endless traveling member employed thereon;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a special air-control valve; and

Fig. 5 represents head plates applied at opposite ends of an open rotary member.

In the illustrative construction, a cylindri- 6 is mounted for rotation partially submerged in liquid pulp-stock maintained at constant level within a vat 7. This shell has its hub-member 8 fixed on axisshaft 9 shown journaled in anti-friction bear- A wheel-gear 11 on one end of said shaft serves to transmit the drive from a power source (not shown).

The hub-member of said shell or drum comprlses a core having a series of longitudinal channels 12 spaced annularly around its axial bore and another or second series of like but smaller channels 13 spaced alternately around the first in concentric relation.

This core is rotatable on the aforementioned shaft between stationary heads or plates 14 applied at its ends. Said heads havedtwin ports 15 and 16 corresponsively op+ pose in the core, with the former open to its series of larger channels (12) and the latter'open to its series of smaller channels (13). These ports open from separate chambers or passages III the heads having line connections 17 and 18 respectively with suction and force pumps (not shown), whereb leased through in uncoverable relation to the channels d 1930, Serial No. 422,882. Renewed July 13, 1933.

side of the heads according to the are of shell rotation through which it is desired to keep the channels 12 open to the force of suction. In this instance they are disposed to agiply suction continuously through an are 0 -aproximatel 180, b mmng at a point iii shell cirdumferenceii ust below the level of stock in the vat and ending at a point just short of top center. The ports '16 are disposed in the upper sides of the yond the termini of the elongated ports. Said heads are held firmly against the ends of the core by springs 19 which also take up any wear, while packings (not shown) between these fixed and rotary members may advan- 65 tageously be used to prevent leak s.

From said core, a plurality of pipes 20 are shown radially extending in support of the aforesaid shell-like the spokes of a 'wheel.

These pipes communicate with the larger channels in the core through passages 12" advantageously receiving them in threaded en gagement. From the core extend also tubes 21 similarly communicating with the smaller of its channels through passages 13. These pipes and tubes open into forming molds or dies 22 spaced circumferentially around the shell with one of each extending to each of said molds. In this instance the molds are supported or dinally adjacent pairs (see Fig. 2) an the pipes and tubes leading thereto accordingly run also in pairs. However, a greater number adj acently or only one may obviously be used at the several points of location, while the intervals or spacing therebetween mi ht be lessened to accommodate a greater num 1' around the shell, depending upon the latters imensions. Moreover, a plurality of pipes and tubes rather than extended to each mold.

Said molds are of ordinary type having perforate forming surfaces with wire covermg on which pulp fibres are spaced openings in an endless conveyor 23 of wire trained over the shell and over an idling heads slightly be- 60 arranged on the shell in lon 'tu- 80 one of each might be gathered by suction during submersion with shell rota- Rings 22 thereon serve to Ill) play (see Fig. 1).

- valstimed by roller 24 at a point of deli very to another conveyor or receptacle (not shown). This wire (see Fig. 3) has mar 'nal webs of chain-like form for sprocket drive by the shell.

At the top of the'shell, a pair of press dies 25 with perforate surfaces act co-operatively upon the forming molds moved successively thereunder with shell rotation. These press dies which function also as transfer mediums are carried by arm-members 26 suspending from coincident throws 27 a of a crank-shaft 27 supported above. Said arm-members comprise swivel-jointed parts as represented to allow rotative play of the dies, which are ivotally fastened to the lower ends thereof or independent rocking movement. Springs 28 tensioned between the dies and lug portions of the arm-members'at one side occasion such rocking movement when the dies are raised from contact with the forming molds, while springs 29 on said members hold the dies with yielding pressure against the molds when lowered thereupon.

The aforesaid crank-shaft. (27) is shown journaled in bearings .30 on the supporting frame or A-shaped brackets 31. This shaft isdriven by the aforementioned wheel gear (11) through intermeshing gears 32, 33 and 33" at a ratio in this instance of ten to one.

A gear 34 on said shaft transmits its drive through intermeshing gear 35 to a rotary valve 36 shown working in a casing 37 supported by a special bracket (see Fig. 4). This casing ing through line 38 with a source (not shown) of air under pressure and an outlet passage 37 to which is connected a. branched tubing 39 opening into the press-dies. The aforesaid valve is ported registerably with these passages in the casing so as to re ease charges of air therethrough at predetermined interthe crank-shaft.

From a throw 27 of the crank-shaft, a length-variable pitman 40 connects with one end of a lever 41. termediately for rocking movement by said itman on a shaft 42 fixed in special support rackets 43. Its other end carries a rod or T-like extension 44 from which yoked rods 45 connect with the aforesaid arm-members (26) to swing the latter in a limited arc. Springs 46 on the last mentioned rods serve as cushioners, while their connection with the arm-members is advantageously of the slipjoint type so as not to impede their rotative The aforementioned rocking lever (41) has oscillatin g connection with a plate 47 mount.-

ed loosely on the same shaft therewith and having a passage 47 to which is connected branched tubing 48 leading from the pressdies. This plate works against a co-acting late 49 held stationary on the same shaft and iiaving a pamage 49 connecting through line 50 with a suction source has an inlet passage 37 connect- This'lever is mounted inas to contact squarely with the molds.

(not shown). Said passages in these platesare so related as to come into register when the oscillated one thereof reaches position synchronous with lowered position of the press-dies in pressure contact with underlying molding dies, as effected by the crank-shaft in time regulation with the rotary shell. The plates thus function as a valve opening at predetermined intervals but normally closed. A spring 51 serves to hold the two plates closely together under yielding tension.

The described apparatus operates automatically with drive of the rotatable shell and associated pump or pumps for the suction and air pressure. As the shell rotates (in this instance in clock-wise direction), the forming molds (22 thereon successively dip into the within the vat. Beginning at a pulp-stock point just below the stock level, these molds are successively subjected to the action of suction throu h their respective pipes 20 as the result of t e related channels 12 in the core coming into register with the elongate ports 15 of the heads. The force of this suction draws the pulp-stock onto the forming surfaces of the molds with the pulp fibres compacting closely together thereon in a web formation, while the water (or other liquid from the stock) that passes through the surfaces in the form of a fine spray is carried off through the suction line.

This suction is continued through a liberal arc of shell rotation, so that suflicient of the pulp fibres will be collected on the forming surfaces to fully form the pie-plates (or other articles for which the molds are designed) by the time the molds emerge from the'stock, and to thereafter substantially reduce the moisture content of the wet webs or formed articles. To assure adequate moisture extraction from the webs, it is desirable to prolong the suction action until the molds reach a point in shell circumference just before top center or approximately 15 from the vertical.

At this point, the press-dies (25) are swung backward (i. e. to the left in Fig. 1) and lowered simultaneously into contact with the molds by the crank-shaft (27) in timed regu- I lation with the rotatable shell. This backward swing is occasioned b the pitman (40 rocking the lever 41 to pu on the rods (45 having attachment with the arm-mom rs (26) of the dies as hereinbefore described, while the lowering movement is occasioned by the throws (27") of the crank-shaft from which said arm-members suspend. As this backward swing and lowering movement occurs, the springs 28 act to incline the dies so Being thus brought into contact with the molds before the latter reach top-center point on the shells circumference, the dies then move forward with the molds (upon opposite swing of the lever 40) and apply pressure thereon aided by the springs 29. This pressure, which action of the aforesaid crank-shaft.

increases to a maximum at the shells top-' center, compresses and gives definite form to the'wet webs or articles while expressing further or superfluous moisture therefrom.

When the dies and molds first come together, the aforesaid lever (41) will have oscillated the plate 47 to bring its passage (47) into register with the passage (49) of the co-acting plate (49) thereby opening the dies to suction through the branched tubing 48. This suction carries off the moisture expressed from the wet webs or articles during compression between the dies and molds.

After the molds and complementary dies moving together pass the shells top-center Where the compressive force is greatest, the press-dies are lifted from the molds by the As the dies begin to lift, the channels 13 in the shell core come momentarilyinto register with the ports 16 of the aforementioned heads, so as to ,release a blast of air into the molds through tubes 21. This air blast augmenting the suction previously opened to the dies causes the fibre webs or articles now fully formed to transfer from the molds onto the dies. The suction continuing in the latter holds the articles thereto as they are lifted free of the molds and simultaneously begin backward swing'for the next cycle of operation on succeeding molds, while the molds just operated upon and transferring the articles thereto move on for another formation. With said lift movement of the dies, the springs 28 again act to incline the dies for meeting squarely with the succeeding molds to be operated upon.

At this juncture, the aforesaid lever (41) will have oscillated the plate 47 with its orifice (47) out of register with the orifice in its co-acing plate 49, so as to break the suction in the press-dies. "At this moment, the rotary valve 36 will have brought its ports into register with the passages in its casing (37) to release a blast of air through branched tubing 39 so as to blow or eject the articles from the dies onto one of the web portions of the endless conveyor 23 moving thereunder. The latter of course delivers the articles (as indicated in Fig. 1) to another conveyor or receptacle, whichever the case may be.

The described cycle of operation is repeated successively on each pair of for-min molds moving to position for coaction wit the press-dies.

The crank-shaft controlling the press-die movement through connecting parts of course operates at a speed relation to the shell depending upon ing dies spaced around the latters circumference. There being in this instance ten molds in pairs equi-spaced around the shell, the crank-shaft makes ten revolutions to every revolution of the shell as before indicated. The machine may operate at any the number of form speed at which the dies will effectually co operate with the molds and in most cases the speed may be fairly rapid. It will be noted that there is no interruption of the shell rotation during press-die co-action with the molds, the machine being operable continu ously rather than intermittently as in other types of machines of a related character.

As modifications of the machine according to working conditions, with various changes in construction and. arrangement of parts and with various combinationsand sub-combinations thereof may be made without departing vention, it is not intended to limit the same by the appended claims tothe specific construction illustrated. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A machine forming pulp-fibre articles from liquid stock comprising in combination, a vat for the stock; a shell mounted for rotation partially submerged in the vat having a plurality ofmolds with perforate wire covered forming surfaces spaced circumferentially therearound and a core-like hub formed with a double annular series of longitudinal channels in concentric relation; headmembers applied at opposite ends of said huh having separate suction and air ports open relatively to the series of channels in the hub; means connecting said channels of the hub each with one of the aforesaid molds; means rotating the shell; means connecting said suction and air ports of the heads respectively with related pumps; an endless conveyor trained over and driven by the shell with the molds on the latter projecting through openings therein; a press-die sup- Y ported at the top of the shell in cooperative relation to the molds successively moved thereunder; means swinging and simultaneously lowering the die into pressure contact with the molds moving thereunder and actuating the same to travel with the molds through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a point before and ending at a point after its top center; means driving the die-actuating means in timed regulation with the shell; means applying suction through the die during its period of pressure contact with the molds and during withdrawal therefrom; and means releasing a blast of air through said die upon its withdrawal from the molds.

2. A machine according to the preceding claim wherein the suction ports in the heads are formed to maintain a continuous suction action in each mold beginning at a point im- -mediately following its entry into the stock and ending at a point just prior to the pressdies actuation into full contact therewith.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the air ports of the heads are disposed to release blasts of air through the molds at the from the spirit and scope of the in-.

moment of the press-dies withdrawal from contact therewith.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the support and actuating means for the press-die embodies a crank-shaft from which the dies swingingly suspend, said shaft being driven at a speed ratio to the shell de ending upon the number of molds circum eren- 'tially spaced around the latter.

5. A machine for forming pulp-fibre articles from liquid stock comprising in combination, a vat for the stock; a continuously rotat ng shell mounted in partial submernce in the vat and having a plurality of orming molds spaced circumferentially therearound; means for applying suction to .said molds continuously through an arc o shell rotation beginning at a point just below the stock level in the vat and ending at a point above said level just before top center, whereby pulp-fibres are drawn upon the molds to form the articles during submergence in the stock and moisture from the wet formations is extracted after emergence from the stock; a ress-die movable in relation to the shell mo ds; means actuating and maintaining said die in pressure contact with said molds successively through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a ploint before and ending at a point after t e shells top center so as to compress the wet formations therebetween and give definite form to the same without any interruption of the shells rotation; means applying suction to the die during its period of pressure contact with the molds so as to carr off such further mois ture as is expressed rom the articles by comression and thereafter during the dies with- Flrawal from the molds so'as to hold the articles to the die; means releasing a blast of air through the molds successively as the die is withdrawn therefrom so as to complete transfer of the articles from the latter to the former; and means releasing a blast of air through said die upon withdrawal from the molds so as to discharge the articles therefrom onto a receiving and conveying member.

6. A machine for form ng pulp-fibre articles from liquid stock comprising in combination, a vat for the stock; a continuously rotating shell mounted partially submerged in the vat and havin a plurality of forming molds spaced circum erenti ally therearound; means applying suction to said molds continuously through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a pointjust below the stock level .in the vat and ending at a point above said level before reaching top center of the shell; a press-die movable axially and oscillatively in relation to the molds; means actuating and maintaining said die in pressure contact with said molds successively through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a point before and endin at a point after the shells top center wi out any interruption of its rotation; means applying suction to the die during its period of cooperative contact with the molds and at the moment of withdrawal therefrom; means releasing a blast of air through the molds as the die withdraws therefrom; and means releasing a blast of air through said die after withdrawal from the molds. i

7. A machine according to the preceding claim wherein the means actuating the die into pressure contact with the molds comprises an eccentric shaft driven with the shell in speed relation thereto; an arm-member suspending the die from said shaft; a

lever rocked by a pitman connecting it with the shaft; and a rod connecting the swinging arm of said lever with the aforesame armmember.

8. A machine for forming pulp-fibre articles from liquid stock comprising in com-' bination, a vat for the stock; a shell mounted for rotation partially submerged in the vat and having a plurality of forming molds spaced circumferentially therearound; means applying suction to said molds continuously through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a point just below the stock' level in the vat and ending at a point above said level before reaching top center ofthe shell; a press-die; means actuating said die into pressure contact with said molds successively through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a oint before andending at a point after the s ells top center, said means embodyin a crank-shaft driven with the shell in spee' relation thereto, an arm-member suspending the die from said shaft, a lever rocked by a pitman connecting it with the shaft and a rod connecting the swinging arm of the lever with the said arm-member;'means applying suction through the die during its period of contact with the molds and during withdrawal therefrom; means releasing a blast of air through the molds as the die withdraws therefrom; and means releasin air through said die upon with the molds.

a blast of rawal from 9. A machines for forming pulp-fibre articles from liquid stock comprising 1n combination, a vat for the stock; a shell mounted forrotation partially submerged in the vat and, having a plurality of forming molds spaced circumferentially therearound; means applying suction through said molds continuously through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a point just below the stock level in the vat and ending at a point above said level before reaching top center of the shell; 9. press-die; means actuating said die into pressure contact with said molds successively through an arc of shell rotation beginning at a point before and ending at a point after the shells top center, said means embodying a crank-shaft driven with the shell in sgeed relation thereto, an arm-member suspen ing upon a registeringly ported stationary plate held tensionally thereagainst, the port of the stationary member being connected. with a source of suction and the port of the osc1llat ing member being connected with the die;

means releasing a blast of air through the molds as the die withdraws therefrom; and means releasing a blast of air through said die upon withdrawal from the molds.

10. A. machine according to claim 6 wherein the means app-lying suction through the die comprises co-acting stationary and oscillating plates having ports adapted to register during a period of relative movement, the ports of the stationary member being connected with'a source of suction and the port of theoscillating member being connected with the die, and said oscillating plate being actuated by connection with a member synchronated with the rotating shell.

11. A machine according to claim 6 where in the means releasing a blast of air through the die comprises a rotary valve driven in timed regulation with the rotating shell and having ports registerable at predetermined Intervals with separate passages in its surrounding casing, one of said passages in the latter being connected with a source of air pressure and the other of said air passages bemg connected with the die.

12. A machine for forming pulp-fibre articles from liquid stock comprising in combination, a vat; a continuously rotating shell mounted partially submerged in the vat and having a plurality of molds spaced therearound on which the pulp fibres are gathered by suction; an independently operated pressdie acting successively upon the molds moved in relation thereto, said die being actuated to pressure contact and travel movement jointly with the molds through an arc of shell rotat1on during which moisture expressed by compression of the formed articles is carried off and the articles are transferred thereonto by such suction aided by air blast through the molds; and an endless conveyor member onto 7 which the articles first transferred to the die are subsequently discharged by air blast" through the die. 7

13. In a machine of the character described, a press-die having axial and swing movement in opposing cooperative relation to a series of molding dies moving successively and continuously in the plane of a cylinder so as to meet and travel in pressure contact with each mold through an arc of rotation of approximately 15.

14. In a machine of the character described, means adapting molds on which pulp-fibre articles are formed from liquid stock and a press-die to which the formed articles are successively transferred therefrom to meet and move together on an arc of a circular path traveled uninterruptedly by the molds, the press-die so meetingand moving with the molds having a compressive action upon the formed articles before transfer thereonto and being independently operable in a plurality of cycles with a single cycle of the molds according to the number of the latter travelling in the circular path, said molds and dies each having means applying suction and air blasts therethrough at predetermined intervals in their synchronate'd cycles of operation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. FRED WV. STAPLES. 

